Delusive Savior
by ImaginaryCitadel
Summary: Humanity is slowly but surely recovering from the Neurax Worm outbreak. Dread and uneasiness has befallen society, knowing a new outbreak might be just around the corner. The most talented researchers are determined to develop a permanent solution: the NanoCure.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue — Eradicated

Heavy and slow steps echoed through the enormous yet empty room, carrying a body that had been, for a long time, fragile and broken. The man, now wearing a silky white coat, had a mysterious aura around him. When others saw him walking by, they often stared at him in wonder. Age had done a number on him, and yet, despite the life he had to go through, he kept that warm, peaceful smile he always wore in the darkest of times, and a strong vitality that never seemed to wear off.

Thirty years had passed since the Neurax Worm outbreak. And perhaps one of the most important people involved in its eradication, Derek Thompson, often spent the afternoons mourning for all who had been lost. The sight of emptied cities, decaying corpses throughout all the streets, scavengers feasting on what once was a person; sometimes he thought he would never be able to get those images out of his brain. Other times, he was glad. At least, somebody had to remember. Someone had to know what happened, and make sure to do his best to prevent it from happening ever again.

Sunset's orange light leaked through the stained glass. The old man stroked his white beard, walking towards the table sitting at the center of the room. He sat down on an expensive-looking chair, allowing his body to relax. With half-closed eyes, Derek began to retreat into a maze of thoughts. Thinking. For the past few years, that was all he did in his spare time. His age allowed him to retire, but his inner motivation always forced him to push forward, to keep working to help humanity. Was it because he didn't trust the younger generations? Was it because he needed the sense of control he got from knowing everything was going to be just as he planned?

Derek closed his eyes completely and drifted away. There was only one thought that always bothered him, that made his blood boil yet at the same time it made his eyes water. That thought was Neuren.

Not much research was done on him. The human who almost wiped out humanity, of incomparable intelligence and still shrouded in mystery. Derek couldn't help but be curious: where was he now? How old was he? Did he die? What was his name? What prompted him to do what he did? And how did he find the worm in the first place? The most frustrating factor of it all was that Neuren simply vanished from Earth, taking all of the answers with him. Derek had often requested for research to be done on his background, but with no leads, and no real experts in the area, everyone had given up and moved on to more _important matters_.

Important, right. The old doctor's train of thought lead him to the current state of affairs. Something that, if he had to admit, scared him to no end. Ironic, he thought he would have nothing to fear when he grew older, but life has again proven him wrong. But how could a ridiculous idea like that even work? One of the employees suggested creating a permanent cure to all diseases, an universal vaccine that would aid the immune system in defeating anything that would endanger the host. NanoCure, they called the creation.

In an utopian world, perhaps, NanoCure would work perfectly, having no negative side-effects and actually helping humanity thrive in these moments, when it needs it the most. Unfortunately, Derek had realized, this world was far from perfect. It was his most pessimist side speaking, but for him, shaking off the feeling that something might go wrong was impossible. Nobody should play God, simply allow nature to work as planned. That was the lesson they were supposed to learn from Neuren. But if everything went smoothly, and NanoCure was a success? How many lives would be lost only due to an irrational feeling of foreboding? And how many would be lost if that feeling was ignored?

Derek opened his eyes. These mental loopholes were no good for his mental state, and now that the sun had completely sunk in the horizon, the darkness had increased, once again reminding him of the loneliness of this room. Perhaps, he was just being selfish, or relying in the old excuse, _back in my days, things were better!_

They weren't. That much was clear.

With effort and a grunt, the old man stood up, bones protesting with him. It was time to go back home, pay his respects to his late wife, and wish a happy birthday to his older daughter. He smiled at the thought. Perhaps, if he retired, more of his free time would be spent bonding with them, but he would rather ensure their prosper future.

Some sacrifices had to be made.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I'm alive. So what's in for this fanfic? It's basically a sequel for "The Creature Inside of Me", which I'm going to update much more slowly 'cause now I'm going through the entire editing process, hopefully making a much cleaner and clearer story this time. This here is just a prologue for setting, chapters are expected to be a bit longer than this.

So, I hope you enjoy this one. I know I promised alternative endings for the previous fic, consider them a "maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't".


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **Yeah yeah I know it's late. Honestly I've moved onto more drawing than writing so I'm not doing that many stories anymore, although I still have some ideas left and I don't want to close off the possibility of writing them.

However for this particular fic, I'm leaving it on hold for now since I consider it kind of distasteful to continue with the times we're all going through. I started chapter 2 (or 1 since last one was a prologue?) so I'm leaving a WIP here but I don't plan on continuing for the time being. Also, I'm probably going to write some originals, if I find the time. Classes and private life are taking away free time.

More importantly, stay safe everyone and keep writing!

* * *

Chapter 1 — Ambitions Rather Low

Although Micah Torres was one of the very few lucky ones who could work on a project of this magnitude, he was anything but pretentious. Having graduated from the most prestigious college at the tender age of twenty-two, Derek Thompson had immediately seen potential in his practice work and had decided to let him work for the NanoCure project. Since then, the team had been making steady progress, and they hoped the artifact would be released to the public in ten years or less.

NanoCure. Micah never really thought about what he was working on, he was content doing his part of the project, getting paid and watching his favorite TV shows when he got home to his small apartment in his noisy city. He had only heard stories about the terrible disease that had plagued the world only a year prior to his birth. When Derek told him most of the details, Micah could only laugh internally. A worm that could control human emotions? That was ridiculous! He had once said that thought out loud, which immediately earned him death glares. He didn't think something like that was even possible, and it wasn't like the subject was touched upon when he studied in college. Quite the contrary, in fact. His classmates would often ask, inquisitively, about the disease known as PAX-12 by history. Yet, all teachers would remain quiet, while the older students would shift in their seats. Micah once noticed a man in his late thirties who looked like he was about to cry when an innocent student had asked a question about neurodiseases.

It was moments like those that made Micah wonder if such a worm like Neurax could have possibly existed. After all, wasn't he working on the NanoCure, only to prevent another Neurax outbreak from possibly happening?

Micah scratched his hair, tinted gold like the sun itself, and stretched lazily. His eyes scanned the room, looking at nothing in particular. Papers were scattered all around the desk, as well as a few empty coffee cups left behind by his coworkers. Inside of him a laptop with a document open, hundreds upon hundreds of words that would be unintelligible to the average citizen. He often joked about how he became a researcher only to speak in big words. That wasn't so far from the truth, though.

He grabbed a lone sheet that was within arm's reach and began to read it, yawning. Often, he wished he was on the other side of the room, doing experiments, mixing chemicals, or just watching the water boil. Anything was more entertaining than just staring at a computer screen for hours and organizing papers.

The document was incomplete, at the bottom it read _page 6 of 312_. At the top, the word _NanoCure _was typed in bold letters. Perhaps one of his coworkers had left it there. Micah sighed. Not just because he was there to organize everything meant they had the freedom to leave their things scattered all over the room!

What was written in that sheet was only everything he had been told about the NanoCure. It was a miniature robot, so small the human eye couldn't possibly see it without a microscope. The idea behind it was to prevent and cure diseases that were harmful to the human body. It was created solely to destroy any foreign pathogen. The NanoCure, in the future, was going to be given as a vaccine and would be obligatory for all newborn children. It would evolve along with its host, acting similarly to a human's immune system, but being the one to take care of the more dangerous diseases as to not compromise the human's natural strength. Micah looked at the paper, his eyes gleaming with sorrow. Humanity had suffered so much because of the Neurax Worm, up to the point they thought NanoCure was the next step, something they needed. He couldn't believe it still.

The doors opened, and a single, tall man appeared. His wrinkles revealed his age, as he walked along being helped by a staff. Micah immediately stood up and offered his arm to the man, who refused with a tender smile.

"I might be old, but I can walk still!" He laughed to himself, and Micah forced a laugh as to not seem disrespectful. "How is work today, Mr. Torres? Any trouble?"

"Please, just Micah is fine," the young man said, bowing slightly. "And no sir, everything is going along fine. There is nothing you need to worry about, Director Thompson."

"Oh, youngster, how many times do I have to tell you to stop being so formal?" Thompson stifled a laugh. Micah often thought how this man seemed lonely; after losing his wife, there weren't many people that could treat him like a close friend. Although Micah respected him, he noticed how the others almost seemed to be devoted to him. "But if everything is alright," he continued, "then I guess I'm not needed here right now. Keep doing a good job, I'm so proud of how far you've come, Mr. Torres!"


End file.
